LARGO, FL - HCA Florida Largo Hospital held a special Flag Raising ceremony today as part of their gift of life celebration on Blue and Green Day during National Donate Life Month.
More than 75 guests, including hospital caregivers, attended the event including three donor recipients who shared their joy at being given a second chance at life. Hospital Chief Executive Officer Adam Rudd kicked off the event by introducing Ravi Chari, M.D., President of HCA West Florida Division and their shared mission.
Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life
“On a personal note, this is a particularly special time of year for me as well,” Chari told the crowd. “Early in my career, I had the pleasure of spending many days and nights in the operating room as a transplant surgeon. There was always something miraculous about holding an organ from someone who just passed away knowing it was about to give to someone else a second chance at life.” He went on to thank Largo Hospital caregivers for the amazing job they have done in the past five years, living the hospital’s mission of starting a kidney and liver transplant program and successfully adding a heart transplant program in 2020.
Care Like Family
Rudd shared that Largo Hospital had several firsts, including being the first transplant program in Pinellas County and the first hospital in Florida to perform robotic live kidney donation. He also noted that its heart transplant program is one of only three in HCA Healthcare. Rudd then introduced retired police officer and kidney recipient Jeff Cooper, who received his kidney through an altruistic donation from Jupiter, Florida police officer Guy Kitchen. Cooper discussed the bond they now have and expressed regret that Guy was unable to attend today due to not feeling well. He went on to thank the Largo Hospital team for the outstanding care he received noting he truly felt like he was cared for like family.
Anyone can be an organ donor
Ashley Moore of the LifeLink of Florida was next up to present a beautiful donate life chalk drawing by local artist Hiliary Frambes, who was personally impacted when a close friend’s daughter became an organ donor. Moore thanked the Largo Hospital team for all of their efforts, both as caregivers and in helping spread the message of the importance of organ donation.
Rudd thanked everyone for taking the time to attend the event and introduced heart transplant recipient Albert Juarez who enjoyed several rounds of applause as he shared his personal journey and new outlook on life while thanking Largo Hospital caregivers for their support of him and his wife through the transplant process. The event closed with heart transplant recipient Anthony Gonzalez picking up his guitar with singer Steve Santo, who returned from playing in Las Vegas, to accompany Gonzalez in singing a special transplant song of hope and gratitude as hospital transplant team physicians Layal Abdel Rahman, M.D., Tara Hrobowski Blackman, M.D. and Amy Lu, M.D. raised the donor flag.
